The present invention relates to a hospital bed, chair, cart, stretcher or a similar patient support apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a patient support apparatus having wheels or casters, and which is typically manually pushed.
In hospitals, it can be difficult for a caregiver to push a stretcher having a patient supported thereon without the assistance of another person. Overcoming the inertia of a stationary stretcher and swiveling the casters of the stretcher to point in the desired direction of travel can take considerably more effort than maintaining the momentum of a moving stretcher. Overcoming the inertia and aligning the wheels of a stretcher can be difficult enough when pushing the stretcher on a smooth horizontal floor of a hospital. The problem is even more difficult when the stretcher has to be pushed up a ramp in field situations. In both the hospital and field use, caregivers can injure their backs while pushing a stretcher with a patient supported thereon.
According to the present invention, a manually-operated power assist mechanism assists caregivers in overcoming the inertia and aligning the wheels when pushing a stretcher or a similar patient support apparatus.
In preferred embodiments, a patient support apparatus includes a frame, a patient support deck carried by the frame, a drive wheel coupled to the frame, and a manually-operated power assist mechanism configured to drive the drive wheel, and initiate motion of the patient support apparatus. In some embodiments, the manually-operated power assist mechanism is configured to lower the drive wheel to engage the floor, and drive the drive wheel to move the patient support apparatus.
In two of the illustrative embodiments, the manually-operated power assist mechanism comprises a foot-operated power assist mechanism. In another illustrative embodiment, the manually-operated power assist mechanism comprises a hand-operated power assist mechanism.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of moving a patient support apparatus includes the steps of providing the patient support apparatus with a drive wheel and a lever-actuated mechanism configured to drive the drive wheel, and actuating the lever-actuated mechanism to overcome inertia and propel the patient support apparatus.
Additional features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.